Water-heater.



J. MGGLOSKEY.

WATER HEATER' APPLICATION FILED MAYH, 191s.

Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

I'HE NUNRIS PErERs Lu PHOTO-ulna, WASHINGTON. L1 L1 JOHN MOCLOSKEY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

WATER-HEATER.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented A11 4, 1914.

Application filed May 17, 1913. Serial No. 768,301.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN McOLosKnr, a citizen of the United States, of Boston, in the county of Suliolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements invVater-Iileaters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for facilitating the absorption of heat, and refers particularly to apparatus for rapidly heating water, although I do not limit myself entirely to this last specific use, as hereinalter explained.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a heater having a liquid-containing chamber that surrounds a fire box which receives the flame of a gas burner, the con struction being such that no outlet flue is needed to induce a draft for the products of COllllNlStlOl'l. In brief, the device holds the burning gases for a length of time sullicient to utilize the thermal elliciency of the heat units in heating liquid held in or passing through the device.

A further object of the invention is to provide a continuous water heater which will not require the services of a plumber to install, this last object being attained mainly by reason of the fact that no use whatever exists for circulation pipes to enable the user to draw hot water from the beginning or opening of a faucet or valve.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which, although the gas may be left lnirning, cannot result in an explosion, because the device is always open to the atmosphere to provide for any escape of steam that might be generated.

Further objects are to provide improvements in the construction of a water heater as will be hereinafter explained.

To these ends, the invention consists in the device substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

()1? the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view, partly broken out, of a device embodying my invention in its pretori-ed form; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 represents a section on line 33 of Fig. 5; Fig. 4: represents an end elevation; Fig. 5 represents a section on line 5 5 of Figs. 1 and 3; Fig. 6 is a detail section on line 66 of Fig. 4L.

These figures are not all on the same scale.

In the drawings, the device is shown as made in two members, upper and lower, which are permanently connected together. The making in separate members is for convenience of manufacture. The lower or base member comprises an outer wall 12, and an inner wall 13, which is preferably ribbed, as shown in Figs. 3, 5 and 6. This member, as a whole, is rectangular in form, a liquid conduit a being provided between the inner and outer walls, the ribbed form of the inner wall being preferred, in order that liquid :in the conduit a may be more rapidly heated. The bottom of the lower member is open, and its inner wall 13 forms a fire box which is designed to receive the burning gases from any suitable gas burner, prel erably ot' the Bunsen burner type. As my invention does not include the construction of the burner, I do not illustrate the same. A suitable burner might be connected to the device, or the device might be set over any suitable burner, such as that to be found in any gas stove or range.

A vertical barrier, or partition 14L, is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. A short pipe section 15 is formed with or secured to the outer wall, said pipe section having a coupling member 16, whereby connection may be made with any source of supply of liquid under pressure, such as the water main of a city supply. One side of the pipe section 15 is open, as best shown by liig. (5, so that water flowing .in through the said pipe section 15 will enter the conduit (4, the pipe section 15 constituting the inlet of said conduit. As presently explained, the liquid in the conduit a escapes into a section of the upper member through an opening or outlet 1) (see Fig. 5 and dotted lines in Fig. 1.). The barrier 14; is between the pipe section or inlet 15 and the opening or outlet 1), so that liquid entering through pipe 15 must how completely around the rectangular conduit (5, in order to reach the outlet 1). The base member therefore has a single conduit through which the same water is compelled to pass from the inlet '15 to the outlet 1), in contact with the wall of the fire chamber.

The upper member comprises an outer along opposite sides of the device. For conthe intermediate sections hereinafter de- 1 scribed, are lower and upper strlps of metal.

19, 20, said. strips being irregular, as clearly shown in F 5. A stralght strip 21, which may be solder, 1s illustrated as'interposed between the lower irregular strip 19 and the top of the rectangular open-bottom lower member. Each intermediate section has a bottom 22 supported the two lower end strips 19, a top 23 held by the two upper end strips 2.0, and lateral ribs 24. The bottoms and tops of the n e m diat sect are W de an s id tops and bottoms and the lateral ribs 2 alternate with each other and with the ribs 18 of the two side sections 0 in staggered relationship, as shown in Fig. 5. For convenience, I call the intermediate sections the sections (Z, each of said sections being hollow and having a space or chamber with lateral extensions at top and bottom and inter.- mediate portions, these extensions being the spaces within the lateral ribs 2st.

As shown by comparing Figs. 1 and ii, the intermediate sections ,qZ communicate with each other through their ends, alternately,

one side section .0 communicating with the first section Z, and the last section (Z communicating with the other side section 0. The last-mentioned section has an ultimate or delivery outlet here shown as a spout 25, which is preferably left permanently open. It will now be understood that when the device is located above a suitable gas burner, the inner wall of the lower member forms an open-bottom fire box which receives the burning gases from the burner and is backed y a r f w ng th ough the ndu t a which entirely surrounds the fire box, and conducts the water in a single thinheat-absorbing stream from the inlet 1,5 tothe outlet b. It will also be seen that the sections of the upper member form a single sinuous, substantially horizontal Water conduit through which the Water flows as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1, said conduit extending from the inner outlet 6 (which is the inlet .of the upper member) to the ultimate outlet 25. It will also be seen, that the-opposed ribbed walls of said sections form narrow and tortuous, substantially vertical gas conduits or flues which conduct the heated products of combustion upwardlyirom the fire box, said walls being backed by the thin stream of water flowing through the said sinuous conduit and having sufficient area to enable the water to absorb practically all of the heat in the escaping products of combustion. The sinuous conduit formed by the sections of the upper member is a continuation of the conduit a surrounding the fire box, so that the water entering the inlet of the passage or, flows in a single stream in contact with heated Walls until it reaches the ultimate outlet 25.

The upper section may be called a Water and gas conducting grid which covers the fire box formed by the inner wall of the lower section, said grid conducting the water horizontally and the heated gases upwardly. The firebox and the grid collectively constit-ute a structure which practically surrounds other words, the construction is such thatthere is but one course for the water to take fr m it point Q e tmnce a l t th o tlet 25, and all portions of the single conduit have substantially the se ne cross sectional area. Consequently every unit of water in the conduit receives as much heat as every other unit, because there is no place or pocket in which some water can remain lei 1g enough to permit the deposit of sediment. If the device is not in use for some time, and sediment is deposited, the turning on of the flow immediately causes such sediment to be washed out. Itwill now be understood that since the walls of all portions of the conduit have-the ribs described, the portions d especially having them close together andin staggered relationship, I provide for an almost immediate supply of hot with a minimum expenditure of fuel.

The construction is such that not only can the user obtain hot water almost instantaneously, and Without requiring plumbing work, but also every unit of water passing through the device must receive as much heat as. every other unit. This latter is due to the fact that the conduit for the water is a single continuous one, from the inlet connection 15, to the nozzle or delivery spout 25. The water flowing. through this continuous elongated conduit is first heated while it flows aroundthe fire box, the water so surrounding the flames that it has a maximum of heat imparted to it before it can pass into the sinuous conduit formed by the series of hollow sections. The spaces between said sections are so restricted and so irregular or tortuous that. much of the heat which has not been absorbed by the water while flowing around the fire box will be taken up by the water While on its way to the delivery outlet 25.

The device illustrated can be utilized by simply placing. it in proper position relatively to a gas heater, and making a simple connection with th pipe 15, as by a piece of rubber tube. Of course, tubing could also be connected to the spout or outlet 25, if desired. In any event, the device enables the user to obtain hot water almost instantaneously, without requiring the services of a plumber to install circulation pipes, or for any other purpose. The services of a plumher are not required because anyone can readily connect the coupling 16 to a piece of hose or to a water pipe, and if desired can connect a piece of rubber tube to the nozzle 25.

I do not limit my invention'to use for heating water. For instance, it is obvious that if steam or gas to be condensed were to be allowed to flow through the device, while the latter is submerged in a cooling liquid, or otherwise cooled, said device can be used as a condenser.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A device of the character described, comprising an open bottomed base member having an inner wall forming a fire box and an outer wall forming, with the inner wall, a conduit surrounding the fire box, and an upper member forming a grid having a sinuous, substantially horizontal water conduit constituting a continuation of the conduit in the lower member, and a plurality of substantially vertical gas conduits alternating with the stretches of the sinuous water conduit, said members presenting water-backed surfaces surrounding said gas conduits and absorbing heat from burner flames in the fire box and the heated gases passing therefrom.

2. A water heater comprising an open bottomed base member having an inner wall forming the wall of a fire box, and an outer wall forming with the inner wall a water conduit surrounding said fire box, the base member having an inlet and an outlet for said conduit in close proximity to each other, and. an internal barrier between the inlet and outlet whereby liquid entering at the inlet is caused to pass through the entire length of the conduit to the outlet in contact with the wall of the fire box, and an upper member consisting of a plurality of closely spaced sections connected at alternate ends and forming a single tortuous, substantially horizontal water conduit comn'iunicatiing at one end with the outlet of the conduit in the base member, and having a hot water outlet at its opposite end, the opposed sides of said sections forming gas conduits to conduct the products of combustion from the the box between the opposed walls of the sections, the connected conduits in the base and upper members forming a single continuous conduit through which the same water passes from the entrance of the base conduit to the said delivering outlet, the inner wall of the base member and the opposed walls of the upper member sections forming heat-absorbing water-backed surfaces surrounding said gas conduits and absorbing heat from burner flames in the fire box and the heated gases passing therefrom.

3. A device of the character described, comprising an open-bottomed member having an inner wall forming a tire box and an outer wall forming with the inner wall a conduit surrounding the fire box, a coupling being provided for connecting one end of said passageway with a water supply, and an upper member consisting of a plurality of closely spaced sections connected at alter nate ends and forming a grid having a sinuous conduit constituting a continuation of the conduit in the lower member, the entire conduit having substantially the same cross sectional area at all points to insure uniformity of travel of all units of water in the conduit.

4. A device of the character described, comprising an open-bottomed lower member having outer and inner walls forming a conduit surrounding the inner wall, a coupling being provided for connecting one end of said conduit with a water supply, an upper n'iember consisting of a plurality of closely spaced sections connected at alternate ends and forming a single tortuous conduit lead ing from the conduit in the lower member, the walls of said sections being ribbed in alternating or staggered relationsl'iip, the en tire conduit having substantially the same cross sectional area at all points to insure uniformity of travel of all units of water therein.

5. A. liquid heater comprising a lower member provided with a conduit having means for the admission of liquid thereto, a pair of irregular strips above said lower member, an upper irregular strip, a series of hollow sections confined between said strips and having ribs in staggered relationship, the lower member and sections being connected to form a single conduit for the continuous flow of liquid, the entire conduit having substantially the same cross sectional area at all points.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN MCCLOSKEY.

Witnesses (I. F. Bnown, l J. MURPHY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

